Claim: Birth Control Causes Cancer

Question

If you use birth control, you might be wondering whether it affects your chances of getting cancer, IUDs, birth control pills, birth control shots, and others raise or lower your risk.

Comments

Certain forms of birth control can be linked to a lower risk of some cancers. Research done in the article says that birth control pills can reduce ovarian cancer risk by up to 50%. This research was done by the National Cancer Institute, an official government website, which I checked and had the same findings. Similarly, hormonal IUDs may help prevent or even treat early-stage cancers, which I also found to be true at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's official website

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I like the source you used for this factcheck, but overall I think the title can be very misleading, especially because you didn't add prior information from the article. I think next time if you added more information it would've strengthened this fact check, as well as finding different articles to further support this fact check.

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Although this has been proven false, you don't seem to be exactly claiming what the original fact check does and neither does the article which makes this a little misleading. Along with that WebMD is always the best source to use in these and can often be an unreliable source on some topics. I would've found a better source and perhaps changed your original claim a little.

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I agree that cancer can be caused by a variety of factors, so crediting it to a single product like birth control isn't entirely accurate. I thought your explanation did a good job of showing the risks of products like birth control while also showing some sources for more accurate lists for the risks associated with the medication.

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This article is very helpful in answering the claim of if birth control affects the chances of getting cancer by explaining the different side effects in some common birth control methods. The article is also medically reviewed by a qualified doctor which can help better support the claim. I do think it is a little misleading because it only talks about some forms of birth control and shares concise information on only some of them. I do agree with the claim that birth control can cause cancer because I have seen outside sources that also support this claim, but I don’t think this article is the best example to support this claim.

Answer 1

This is a very big claim that has some truth to it, but making a blanket statement like this, without the proper evidence to back it up is misleading. I went to the website that this person used as a source and found out that taking birth control AFTER the age of 40 can increase ones risk of breast and cervical cancer. But, because of the estrogen and progesterone in birth control pills, it actually has the ability to lower a persons risk to cancers like Endometrial cancer by 30% and colon cancer by 15-20%, while decreasing the risk of ovarian cancer by up to 50%. I also found similar statistics from The American Cancer Society and National Institutes of Heath. Overall, birth control pills can slightly increase the likelihood of cancer in some women for a few types of cancer, but it also has the ability to lower chances, so this claim needed more information.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2628413/

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/latest-news/birth-control-cancer-which-methods-raise-lower-risk.html

Answer 2

An article by the National Library of Medicine states that the Danish study, referred to in the WebMD article, reported a 20% increased risk of breast cancer in current and recent hormonal birth control users. However, the article also states that these findings have not been consistently reported in previous studies and require further investigation. Another study mentioned in the WebMD article from the Fred Hutch Cancer Center found that the injectable form of birth control (DMPA) may double the risk for breast cancer, but this risk tended to dissipate when the patient stopped using it. Additionally, there are many different forms of birth control, such as IUDs. As mentioned in the WebMD article, studies have found that IUDs may decrease the risk of cervical and ovarian cancer. Stating that all birth control causes cancer is false, as there are numerous contraceptive methods and there is not enough evidence to support this claim. Overall, this claim is exaggerated and misleading.

sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6764434/#:~:text=The%20recent%20Danish%20cohort%20study,largely%20consistent%20with%20previous%20studies.

https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/releases/2012/04/dmpa-breast-cancer-risk-chris-li.html

Answer 3

The relationship between birth control and cancer depends on the type used. Studies suggest that birth control pills can lower the risk of cancer with long-lasting protection. It is also seen that long-term use of pills can be associated with cervical cancer. It is known that it varies between which contraceptive is used but this is not true for all. It is important to discuss this with a doctor beforehand. 

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet 

Answer 4

Though part of this claim is true because birth control use can increase susceptibility to certain kinds of cancer (i.e breast cancer,) it seems that this claim is quite broad, because it is also true that birth control reduces susceptibility to other kinds of cancer (colon cancer.)

I am getting my information from the National Institute of Health and a study they conducted. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet

Answer 5

The claim states that birth control causes cancer. The source linked is from WebMD, which is not known to be a super credible source. They do link the author, who is a health journalist and editor and the article is reviewed by a former chief of obstetrics and gynecology, which adds to the credibility of the article. However, the background information on the author and reviewer both come from WebMD itself and is hard to verify from other sources as there may be multiple people with the same name. An article from Cancer.gov mentions that studies on the relationship between cancer risk and oral contraceptives largely comes from observational studies, which cannot definitely establish a link between the two, since there may be other reasons for cancer risk among different women. The article does mention that these observational studies have provided evidence that the risk of breast and cervical cancer is slightly increased with the use of oral contraceptives. One of the studies they mention explains that the increase in risk was due to a specific type of oral birth control. Due to this evidence, I don't think there is enough research to back up the claim that birth control directly causes cancer.

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet

Answer 6

The chance of ovarian cancer can be reduced by up to 50% by using birth control pills, and this prevention can continue for years after the drugs are stopped. Early-stage endometrial cancer may be prevented or even treated using hormonal IUDs, which thin the uterine lining. It's common to wonder if birth control influences the risk of developing cancer. According to some research, using hormonal birth control may somewhat raise your risk of getting some types of cancer, such as breast or cervical cancer, although this risk normally disappears once you stop using it. However, studies have demonstrated that hormonal IUDs and birth control pills can dramatically lower the incidence of endometrial and ovarian malignancies. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet Overall, there is a complex relationship between birth control and cancer; depending on the individual, there are dangers and advantages. The greatest method to determine what's best for you if you're worried about it is to speak with a doctor.

Answer 7

The claim title “Birth Control Causes Cancer” is exaggerated/misleading. The article itself doesn’t even share the same title. The WebMD article is titled “Birth Control and Cancer Risk: What You Should Know,” which does not necessarily imply that birth control will give you cancer. The WebMD article provides nice insight into how birth control may contribute to cancer risk. It correctly states that oral contraceptives may slightly increase the risk of breast and cervical cancers. Research from the National Cancer Institute shows that current or recent users of oral contraceptives have a 20-30% higher risk of breast cancer. However, the article also accurately notes that birth control pills significantly reduce the risk of ovarian cancers. The article’s discussion on IUDs is largely accurate as well. Research from the University of Colorado suggests that IUD use can lower ovarian cancer risk, though the exact percentage varies across studies. On the other hand, a recent study from Oxford University found that all progestin-based contraceptives, such as IUDs, may increase breast cancer risk by 20-30%. On condom use as contraception, the article correctly states that condoms don’t directly affect cancer risk, but help reduce HPV transmission. In fact, they can even help lower the risk of developing cervical cancer. Overall, the article presents reliable information, though I conclude that the claim is misleading because it implies that any use of birth control will likely give you cancer. While contraceptive use may increase your risk, developing cancer is not guaranteed.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/cervical-cancer/prevention/index.html#:~:text=While%20the%20effect%20of%20condoms,lower%20rate%20of%20cervical%20cancer.

https://www.uchealth.org/today/iud-use-cut-rates-of-deadly-ovarian-cancer-around-the-world-new-study-finds/

https://www.ceu.ox.ac.uk/news/any-type-of-hormonal-contraceptive-may-increase-risk-of-breast-cancer#:~:text=An%20analysis%20of%20data%20by,higher%20risk%20of%20breast%20cancer. 

Answer 8

This claim is exaggerated and misleading because in the article the opening lines demonstrate that while birth control does not directly cause cancer, it can raise the risk. Similar to many other products, birth control has the potential to cause cancer. According to a University of Colorado study mentioned in this article, the usage of IUDs reduced cancer risks by 32% when compared to other birth control options. (https://www.uchealth.org/today/iud-use-cut-rates-of-deadly-ovarian-cancer-around-the-world-new-study-finds/)

A study on the connection between birth control and contraceptives and cancer was conducted by the National Cancer Institute. (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet#:~:text=Overall%2C%20however%2C%20these%20studies%20have,reduced%20(1%E2%80%933).) According to their research, birth control can lower your risk of developing endometrial, ovarian, and colorectal cancers, but it can also raise your risk of developing breast and cervical cancers.

Answer 9

This claim looks to be misleading as the article not only talks about the possible concerns(increasing the risk of certain cancers), it also sates the positives of taking birth control (reducing the risk of certain cancers). The claim is misleading as it fails to bring light to the positives of taking birth control and specify a cancer.  The American Cancer Society has an article that talks about the different cancers that have increased risks and cancers that have reduced risks. Cancer Research UK also comes to a similar conclusion. 

Answer 10

Using Cleveland Clinic’s “Birth Control Pills”, we can see that some studies might suggest a small risk and increase of certain cancers, however, it also reduces the risk of cancers. Cleveland Clinic says birth control pills might increase the risk of breast and cervical cancer, but they can also decrease the risk of ovarian, endometrial, and colorectal cancers. 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/3977-birth-control-the-pill